


Take the Risk

by jeien



Series: Oofuri Rarepair Ship Week 2016 [6]
Category: Ookiku Furikabutte | Big Windup!
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M, Oofuri Rarepair Week 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2016-08-13
Packaged: 2018-08-08 11:12:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7755496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeien/pseuds/jeien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Junta left for university with Kazuki earlier that morning. And, as expected, it had hurt. But Riou didn’t think helping Haruna pack his things would hurt more. </p><p>Sequel to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/7752721">Sidetracked</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	Take the Risk

**Author's Note:**

> For Rarepair Week Day 6: I guess both Future and the quote fit because it takes place a year after Sidetracked. AND I'M A LITTLE LATE BUT I'M CAUGHT UP!!!

“That should be the last of it!” Haruna declared, taping up the final box.

Riou sighed and slumped down onto the floor. “Finally. I’m still gonna kill you for leaving all this until the very last minute, asshole.”

“Hey, hey, I’m feeding you tonight for all your help so it’ll be worth it.”

It started the when Riou received a LINE message after lunchtime that only said _Nakazawaaaa!! I need your help!!!!_ He didn’t need to ask any further; he knew that Haruna procrastinated with packing for university, even though Riou reminded him countless times over the past week to start soon. He would have wrung Haruna’s neck if he hadn’t needed the distraction.

Junta left for university with Kazuki earlier that morning.

Saying goodbye to Kazuki and Junta was saying goodbye to a lot of things. It was goodbye to the people he respected, the people who helped him throughout his junior and senior high school years, the people who shielded him from his brother’s mildly abusive tendencies. It was goodbye to his first love, his first jealousy, his first rejection, and his first steps forward when his emotional shitstorm finally quelled into a dull ache. He hated watching the car drive down the road until he couldn’t see the back bumper anymore—but he knew that he would have regretted not seeing them off. It would have hurt more to wake up that morning and realize that they just left him behind without another word. So he saw them off, saying his goodbyes and watching their car drive down the road until he couldn’t see the back bumper anymore. And, as expected, it had hurt.

Riou didn’t think helping Haruna pack his things would hurt more.

Haruna sat next to him on the floor. “Takase and Kawai left this morning, right? You okay?”

“I’m kind of not,” Riou answered honestly. Somehow, ever since they first talked to each other, Riou never shied away from telling Haruna how he really felt. He remembered the advice he had given to Haruna at the park: _If you’ve got a problem, just own up and say it already! It’ll make you feel better, so hurry up!_ Maybe that was why it was so easy to be open to Haruna. “But they’ll be back during the summer. I can wait.”

“There’s something else though, isn’t there?”

“Well, you’re leaving this weekend.”  

“Aw, Nakazawa,” Haruna said. He slung an arm around Riou’s shoulders and pulled him close, bringing Riou’s head to his shoulder playfully. “I know you’ll miss me, but we can still talk on LINE and call. And I’ll visit when I can, too!”

“Yeah, sure,” Riou mumbled, pushing himself away. “I mean, you’re going to that university so you can play baseball, right? I already know you’re gonna dedicate yourself to that. You’ll have no time for it. You’ll forget all about me in no time.”

“Hey, that’s not true.” Haruna’s voice dipped into a serious tone. How much of Haruna’s reassurances were just empty promises waiting to be discarded? “Nakazawa, you said before that I was a pretty nice guy. Back when we first met each other—you remember that? Look how much we’ve come to know each other since then. We’ve become a huge part of each other’s lives , man. Do you think I’ll just up and forget you like that?”

Riou didn’t answer. It pissed off Haruna even more. “Riou. Tell me the whole truth. What’s wrong?”  

 _If you don’t take the risk, you’ll never win_.

“You want the truth?” Riou asked, even though he already knows what Haruna will say. “Fine. I just realized I’m in love with you and now you’re leaving me. There.”

He got up from his place on the floor, hurriedly saying _I’m going home_. But Haruna grabbed his arm.

“Say that again.”

“What? No! Let go!”

Haruna’s eyes narrowed and he yanked Riou back. Riou stumbled and lost his footing, falling right into Haruna’s embrace—and he froze. His heart pounded; and when he listened closely enough, he could hear Haruna’s heart beating to the same rhythm. “I’m not letting you go until you say it again.”

“…I’m in love with you. Now let me go.”

“Nah. I’m never letting you go. I’m never leaving you. I’m gonna prove to you that this can work.”

“What the hell are you saying?”

Haruna held him tighter. “I’m saying that I love you too, dumbass. I’m not gonna break your heart like Takase. So don’t worry when I go to university—I’m not gonna forget about you and I’m not leaving you behind. We gotta stick together, remember?”

“I… Ah, dammit…” Riou spared no second in wrapping his arms around Haruna, just as tightly. They stayed like that for a long time, until Haruna’s older sister called them down for dinner. Even then, they were hesitant to move.

“It’s gonna be rough,” Haruna murmured into Riou’s ear, “but it’s you and me from here on. We’ll be okay.”

“Okay,” Riou said. “Hey.”

“Hm?”

“I love you.”

“Yeah. I love you, too.”


End file.
